ran across a DVD from funnycarfarm.com The ones they do have the shackles in the front. Pretty good 90 min DVD on building a AWB.
I started undropping the 41-54 Chevy pickup axles. This is a 2" total drop. When you undrop them they are 2" wider now. Kingpin to kingpin is 52-1/2". The spring pads are 26-3/4" just about right for the early Chevy cars
When did coil over shocks come into play. I think the TLBT '55 had them,but that was '71? Does anyone have pics of early coil over set ups,front or rear? Brandon
Thanks Brandon for sending me this link. The way I understand the shackle front or rear is from a 4x4, with the shackle in the front on compression into a bump it pushes the axle into the bump making the seem more harsh and adding to the strain on the front end. With the shackle in the the reverse is true. Now I cannot dispute, argue or otherwise make an educated guess on the correct location. My 84 K5 pickup and my wife 4x4 suburban have the shackles in the rear. The one constant thing I'm reading is IF the front end is set up correctly you will have no handling issues. Well what is correct. I have my set up at around 7* caster, through all suspension movement I doubt it will move enough (caster) to make too much of a difference. Granted these cars are going to drive closer to a truck than a car so "handling" is kinda a moot point at best.
i've got a 61 Falcon Gasser that's been in a barn for 25 years. Pulled it out and stuffed my 415 small block dodge in it, along with the 727 and 8 3/4. I am going to buy the Flaming river reversed corvair steering box. What i dont know is what the front axle is. It's been narrowed, I beam style, was told he THINKS it was a 65 chevy van axle. It looks like these posted above, but more drop and has what i think is shock mount holes just inboard of the outer most curves of the drop. It is rear steer and the driver's side steering arm goes from behind the axle (tie rod attachment), forward past the axle, then u-turns around the kingpin to end up basically 5-6 inches inboard of the kingpin. It's forged with a tapered hole. He said it had the steering column running almost straight down between the knees to the axle's original steering box, then draglinked forward to this u shaped arm (side steer) which SOUNDS like a cab over van setup. but i cant find pics of one of those. the point: I've GOT to know what tierod end/size to order to put on the end of the drag link. and i'm very sorry i have no pics but if you look at the powertrain in the falcon, you'll realize that i'm not the superbird, hemicuda owning gazillionaire mopar guy- i'm one of the other 99.99% mopar guys (broke). oh bytheway: my shackles are in the rear, lol. edit: i guess my quote didn't capture 55Mercury's two pics of the undropped axle
thats alotta weight for a corvair box........most guys say NEVER use them on anything heavier than a Tbucket......"vairs weight was mostly in back------JMO
the flaming river box is cast steel, not iron or the earlier aluminum. And it has been enlarged in the critical areas along with replacing the bushings with heavier duty bearings (or vice versa) so i feel ok with a lightish small block with alloy heads, intake and not much else under the hood. Ought give me quite a few years even if it does wear the bearings out a little faster. I'll keep an eye on the tolerances. so can anyone help with the id on the axle- i will try to get some pics if i can
i know this is kinda been beat to death but me and my ol studebaker went from indy to vegas vegas to cali cali to indy.. sooo streetable i would like to think soo!!!! do a search jrodhotrod if you are interested on how the trip when just look for indy to viva in a studebaker
Funny how many people have a bad opinion about straight axles and have never driven anything with a straight axle. I don't see alot of dragsters with independent fronts and they go much faster than a "door-slammer"! Maybe those who can't fathom building something simple and functional should go to site that likes mustang II components! Don't go away mad, just take your "billet and tubular a-arm" attitude somewhere else please.
Thats kinda harsh Holmes..........those poor fools just need to be educated!,and yes I drive the crap outa my 56
If the vehicle uses rear steer the fixed fulcrum point needs to be in rear and shackles up front, reversed for front steer otherwise you end up steering a bowl of jello.
No issue with parallel leaf setups, buggy spring (ie Ford center mount) tends to allow body roll as spring mount acts as a pivot and no sway bar affixed, I use '49-'59 chevy pickup axles and springs from Tractor Supply or Northern Tool, use vehicle curb weight to pick proper spring weight, you can always go heavier but not lighter as it will ride like a vehicle with bad shocks. Having shoulder surgery soon, after healing will be doing an axle on my '54 stude coupe with 512 caddy motor. (webshots, either oldcarfart or deepnhock album's have pics)
1. Aluminum steering boxes in heavy cars/steering loads flex and gernade, not pretty. 2. measure thickness of steering arm, then top of hole, bottom of hole, draw out on paper and then you can measure taper angle, you can usually use a tapered reamer to use a later model tie rod end.
Do of the catalog companies offer a chrome moly straight tube axle? I've seen pics of bent mild steel tubes and I've heard many horror stories about bent I-beam straight axles.
thats all they are is a bunch of stories...........unless you really screw up they work fine............relax and get it done
There about 10 million old trucks out there with the shackles on the front and if the front end parts are in good shape they don't bob and weave. Maybe they don't handle like an F1, but they run down the road for decades
i agree many factory cars came with the shackle in the front and im sure they were heavily tested before production
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